Construction is Under Way!
May 15, 2008
Mirabella at South Waterfront is under construction! In the above view, the construction site is shown just to the left of the grassy double-block, the future South Waterfront Neighborhood Park. Construction activities commenced at the end of April and currently include the placement of drilled shoring piles along the perimeter of the site, placement of shoring walls, and excavation and removal of excess soils. Foundation work will be underway soon, including the placement of over 500 driven grout piles to support the structural loads of the building.
The 38-acre South Waterfront District is the largest urban redevelopment project in Portland’s history. Mirabella is the seventh major development at the South Waterfront, which saw the first two developments break ground in early-2004. Located on the west bank of the Willamette River, residents of the South Waterfront enjoy easy access to water, parks, networks of walking and biking trails, Oregon Heath & Science University and the Portland Aerial Tram, as well as Portland Streetcar, connecting South Waterfront to the University District, downtown, the Pearl District, and Northwest Portland.
Many Mirabella at South Waterfront residents will enjoy spectacular views of Mt. Hood (visible at the far left in the above photograph).
A closer view of Mirabella at South Waterfront under construction, above. Drilling for shoring piles is visible along the southern and western edges of the site (top and right in the photograph). Excavation of excess soil is visible at the northwest quadrant of the site (bottom in photo). Placement of lagging wall has occurred along the eastern edge of the site (left in photo). Shoring piles (large steel ‘I’-beams) are staged in the middle of the site, awaiting placement at the perimeter of the site.
Across River Parkway to the east (left in photo) is The Meriwether condominiums. To the immediate south (middle-right in photo) is John Ross condominiums; between The Meriwether and John Ross (top-middle in photo) is Atwater Place condominiums. The tower behind John Ross (upper-right in photo) is 3720 (also under construction).
Passing by the jobsite and heading northbound on SW Bond Avenue is the Portland Streetcar (visible at middle-right in the above photo). To the west is future South Waterfront Neighborhood Park, scheduled to be completed in Fall 2009.
The above photograph was taken from the 15th floor eco-terrace of the OHSU Center for Health & Healing.
Drilling in preparation for the placement of shoring piles is visible along the southern edge of the Mirabella at South Waterfront site. In the foreground are two shoring piles (steel beams) awaiting vertical placement in the drilled holes. Once craned into place and set into the drilled hold, each shoring pile is encased in poured controlled density fill (a substance similar to grout or concrete).
The shoring piles shown in the above photograph are each three feet in profile (the web), weigh 230 pounds per linear foot, and are each about 60-feet in total length (which is the depth they will be placed into the ground).
Visible in the background are Atwater Place (left) and John Ross (right).
A closer view, above, of the drilling associated with the placement of shoring piles along the perimeter edges of the construction site. The drill must be brought to the surface every few minutes to extract the soil, before returning to the hole to continue drilling.
